COIMBATORE: The health department has allocated Rs 25 lakhs to the public works department (PWD) to renovate the toilet facilities at the campus of the Coimbatore district health department headquarters. Dr P Balusamy, deputy director of Health Services, Coimbatore district, said the state government has allocated Rs 25 lakh through the health department for the repair and maintenance work. "The fund will be utilised for the renovation and repair of the existing toilet facilities. PWD will begin the work soon," he said.
The office of the deputy director of Health Services and Family Welfare is located at Racecourse, next to the district collector's camp office. It houses around 20 divisions, including the offices of the deputy and joint directors of Health Services. The lack of adequate toilet facilities has been a pressing issue for the staff. They have been managing with the existing facilities, many of which are in poor condition.
Over 200 staff members, 70% women, work on this campus. While each department has a designated space for basic amenities like toilets, these facilities were designed several years ago based on outdated staff numbers. The staff working at the premises stressed the urgent need to expand the toilet facilities in all departments on the campus
There are around nine toilet facilities in the main block and for HoDs attached to their offices. However, most of these facilities are in a bad shape and cannot be used by the staff. Hence, they are seeking new toilets, which can also be used by the visitors.